“My blood. They took it. The demons. They held me down and took it. Then they forced me to drink blood of the people they killed, so they could take more of mine.”
Christo. The horror of it all weakened his knees; if he hadn’t already been kneeling, that would’ve brought him to the ground. They did this to the most powerful woman he knew. They did this to the person that released them. They did this to his soulmate.
The power he kept locked away rose, as it usually did when Gabrielle’s life was threatened. Oliver and Leanne, who had crept closer at the sound of their friend’s voice, were now pushed back by the force of it.
Something built at the back of his throat—a roar, a wail, something. The bulk of his power gathered around it, building, building—
A cry cut through his awareness.
“Oh my God. Oh my God. Get it off of me.”
He glanced down at his soulmate to see her clawing at the bloody robe she wore, horror plastered across her face.
His power dissipated as he focused on her. Now wasn’t exactly the time or place to change. Demons were still wreaking havoc outside these walls—if the screams were anything to go by—and they could be back soon. Not to mention that on any other occasion, Gabrielle would be terrified to expose herself in such a place, especially when she didn’t have clothes to change into.
But he couldn’t bear to see her traumatized, and she couldn’t bear to wear the clothes her tormentors must’ve given her.
“Oliver, Leanne, turn around.”
“Don’t need to ask me twice,” Oliver muttered. “Boobs hold no sway over me.”
Andre turned his attention back to his soulmate as her friends faced away from them. Gabrielle was already ripping the fabric, uncaring that she was exposing herself as she did so.
Andre shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. He grabbed her bloodstained hands and clasped them in his own. She yanked against his hold, but he wouldn’t let them go.
“Andre—” she sobbed out.
“Look at me,” he commanded. “Look at me.”
Reluctantly she did so.
“Let me do this, love.”
She frowned, her lower lip trembling—her entire body trembling. And damn if the sight didn’t break something in him. He would tear out her enemies’ hearts and dance upon their ashes for this.
She released a long breath and nodded.
Andre ripped the dress down the middle, scowling with each yank. The devil did this. He’d been given this covetous bond, this radiant woman, and he was destroying her piece by piece. Andre’s resolve hardened into place. They would trump the devil at whatever game he was playing, and they would do it soon.
Once he’d ripped the dress off, he removed his shirt and used it to wipe off the blood that stained her skin. He couldn’t get it all off, but he did the best he could, even toweling off her hair. His soulmate pulled his jacket closer around her.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He paused, then grabbed her chin. “Never thank me for something like this.”
Before she could respond, he kissed her. She latched onto him, falling into the kiss like it was the only thing tethering her to the earth. He clutched her close, breaking off the kiss to whisper. “I will always come for you. I will always follow you, and I will always, always try to save you.”
Gabrielle
I lay cradled in Andre’s arms as he, Leanne, and Oliver led me back to Bishopcourt. As far as coping went, on a scale of one to ten, I was at a two. Physically, I might be in the arms of my soulmate, but mentally, I was still pinned to that altar, being sliced open over and over again.
Lila and those demons disrobed me at some point. I’d been unconscious and they’d changed me. And they were minions of hell.
Don’t think about that.
I must’ve let out a sob because Andre tightened his hold. “You’re safe, soulmate.”
He whispered to me in Romanian, pressing me close to his chest. He’d finally gotten the damsel in distress that he always wanted. I was pretty sure he now regretted ever wanting her.
The demons took so much blood. They had to have brought hundreds—if not thousands—more to life. That many could destroy entire cities within a day. The world was in serious trouble.
It was a sobering thought that I really was the anti-Christ even against my will. I didn’t want to bring the blight to earth, but I had. The time for denial was over.
“I have to see him.” I whispered more to myself than anyone else.
The devil, the man who forced me to hell and ordered me to be cut and bled, would be waiting for me on the other side of dawn.
Andre didn’t respond to my words, so I continued to speak. “He did this, and now I have to see him.”
Andre gathered me closer to him. “I swear I will spend every last breath hunting him down.”
Bloody tears slipped out of my eyes. There was no armor strong enough to protect me from the devil.
I drew deep on my own need for retribution and vengeance.
“I will be the one to stop him.” My voice came out colder and stronger than I’d planned. “I will be the one to end this once and for all.”
Chapter 24
Gabrielle